Teaching
I have always been compelled to teach-- from helping my friends with their homework in grade school and later was a mathematics tutor in high school. As a teaching assistant at USC, I received excellent reviews citing my knowledge and compassion; however, one student suggested that I needed to "speak up". Partially motivated by such warranted criticism, I became a NSF GK-12 fellow in 2012-2013 in order to improve my communication and teaching skills, while serving in a position of public outreach. The experience was both enriching and rewarding.
USC
Fall 2011 - Teaching Assistant for EE 519: Speech Recognition and Processing for Multimedia (Prof. Shri Narayanan)
-Held office hours.
-Guest lectured on speech processing tools and applications.
NSF GK-12
May 2012 - May 2013: Teaching Fellow at Camino Nuevo Harvard Academy 8th grade (partner teacher- Celia Gonzalez)
I have learned the important skill of explaining my research to all levels of learners, while contributing to the education of the students and serving as a scientist role-model.
-Developed and presented science, math, and engineering curriculum
-Developed and presented major lessons on:
+Speech Production
+Newton's Laws of Motion
+Chemistry: Acids and Bases
-Co-hosted "Chemistry Magic Show" for all K-8 students prior to the school's science fair
-Presentated on social signals to middle school students in a summer science program at USC
-Discussed the college experience with underrepresented high school students attending a USC summer program